Should Morris start over Frye?

[sunsfan88]

Frye is one of the worst starting PFs in the NBA and its not even close. Wanna know what's the difference between us and teams with winning records? They have a better PF or at least someone who isn't a chucker.

Benching Frye is simply addition by subtraction. Similar to when we got rid of Shaq. Getting him off the court makes us better, and then when you add someone productive like Morris it just makes us so much better than we are right now.

He averages 4 pts, 8 rebounds (most of this due to good boxing out from Gortat or Morris) and the most astonishing stat of all for a starting PF: 19% FG shooting while his 3pt shooting is at 12%. Those numbers are record low for a starting PF in case you were wondering.

Morris on the other hand has not received much playing time because of our great HC who plays favorites more than anyone else. But in very limited action, he has put up 7 pts 2 steals 2 blocks 2 assists & 9 boards, 9 pts & 3 boards, 15 pts, 6 boards & 1 block. A lot better than Frye and most importantly, he's showing the hustle, energy, basketball IQ and court feel that Frye is not. Starting Morris not only helps win now but also helps him develop faster because of the extended playing time and the chance to play with Nash & other starters.

Frye might discover his shot later but its not worth losing games over. Let him discover his shot in practice or off the bench in games not a starting role.

Its sad that we have a bum of a HC as Alvin Gentry but sooner or later we have to hope that he realizes his boyfriend or favorite player Channing Frye just flat out sucks. There's a reason he was a bench warmer before he came to the Suns and Nash made him look good. But now Nash is getting up there in age and cannot continue to make scrubs like Frye look good.

Last season Gentry waited til we got eliminated out of the playoffs to start Gortat over Lopez....let's see if he repeats that same mistake again with Morris and Frye.

START MORRIS OVER FRYE!

 

[BC867]

I would vote "yes. but not quite yet" for two reasons.

(1) Morris has to play more than four games (actually 3 games + 1 minute) to learn how to stay out of foul trouble.

(2) Frye, or Warrick for that matter, playing alongside Lopez off the bench gives us two bigs -- one who plays soft and the other who is lost on defense.

A veteran Power Forward to provide "D" and solid rebounding off the bench (as we expect Morris to as a starter) would give us balance throughout the game.

 

[sunsfan88]

I don't like that reasoning cause the most important thing is to put the best starting 5 on the court and Frye should not be included in that.

I mean why doesn't Miami bring Wade or LeBron off the bench then? They don't get much bench scoring so they can use one of them off the bench but they don't do it because having them both on the court is the best for the team.

Your best player at each position should be the starter. And Frye is clearly not the best at his position IMO.

 

[BC867]

I don't like that reasoning cause the most important thing is to put the best starting 5 on the court

That philosophy for over forty years -- lack of balance -- is what has kept the Suns from being a complete team.

If you were managing a baseball team and three of your eight best position players on the roster were infielders, would you start one at Catcher and one in CF? And baseball is more of an individual sport played within a team concept.

Basketball (as hockey and soccer -- any-up-and down-the-field/play-offense-and-defense sport) is much more dependent on precision in the four key groups -- Center, Power Forward, Wings and the Point.

You certainly wouldn't play two Point Guards side by side or two Shooting Guards side by side as a matter of routine, even if they were your two best Guards.

 

[SirStefan32]

No. Make the rookie earn it.

 

[AzStevenCal]

I don't like that reasoning cause the most important thing is to put the best starting 5 on the court and Frye should not be included in that.

I mean why doesn't Miami bring Wade or LeBron off the bench then? They don't get much bench scoring so they can use one of them off the bench but they don't do it because having them both on the court is the best for the team.

Your best player at each position should be the starter. And Frye is clearly not the best at his position IMO.

I'd rather start Morris because I'd like to see what we have with him and I'd just as soon start his development as soon as possible. But, I'm not at all convinced he's a better player than Frye. Channing has had a tough start but we've been at our best the past few years when Frye is effective.

Also, basketball is a team game, not an individual sport. Just because one guy is better than another doesn't mean the team is better with him starting. Sometimes you can dramatically improve your second unit while only marginally impacting your starting lineup by moving a starter quality player to the bench (Havlicek and Ginobili come to mind). Frye is certainly not Havlicek or Ginobili but Morris isn't Wade or Lebron either.

In the end though, I could care less which player gives us the best chance to win now. I want them to do what's best for this team and it's future. Unfortunately, from where I sit, I really don't know what that is. I'd be just fine if they kept playing Frye until he gets on a hot streak and then traded him for a future first. I think he's a much better player than most people here do but I don't think he's what we need him to be so we might as well move him.

Steve

 

[elindholm]

No way. Right now the starting five is Gentry's "hands-off" group of veterans, and the second unit is all guys who are early in their careers (except Price) and know they have a lot to learn. My guess is that the chemistry of the second unit is Gentry's main focus for this season, and it gives him the opportunity to do some real coaching.

 

[sunsfan88]

No. Make the rookie earn it.

How has he not earned it? He's out played Frye by a large margin this season.

 

[SirStefan32]

How has he not earned it? He's out played Frye by a large margin this season.

In four games, yes. Make the rookie pay his dues, it will be good for him in the long run.

 

[Griffin]

Not yet. It's only been four games. And minutes-wise, Frye is only averaging 20 minutes per game so far while Morris is averaging 17, and that's counting that one game where he played only 2 min. You have to wait at least couple weeks before making that kind of a change.

 

[sunsfan88]

Morrs: +20
Frye: -2

Any question as to whether Morris should start or not over Frye?

 

[Mainstreet]

Morrs: +20
Frye: -2

Any question as to whether Morris should start or not over Frye?

Did you notice Frye was playing quite well with Morris in the 4th quarter? And they both were playing tough inside.

I don't think it matters who starts as who finishes the game. They complemented each other quite well. I think Morris will turn out to be a better player than Frye but I think what matters most, Gentry is getting Morris playing time. Who starts will resolve itself. Frye had 10 points and 10 rebounds and is clearly not playing his best basketball.

 

[Lefty]

Did you notice Frye was playing quite well with Morris in the 4th quarter? And they both were playing tough inside.

I don't think it matters who starts as who finishes the game. They complemented each other quite well. I think Morris will turn out to be a better player than Frye but I think what matters most, Gentry is getting Morris playing time. Who starts will resolve itself. Frye had 10 points and 10 rebounds and is clearly not playing his best basketball.

I say have Hill come off the bench and start Morris.

 

[Mainstreet]

I say have Hill come off the bench and start Morris.

As I recall the Suns played Frye, Morris and Warrick together for a stretch in the 4th quarter. I think it was a reaction to the Warriors going small. IMO, the Suns need some quickness if Morris and Frye play together, thus Hill or Warrick needs to be out on the court to add some quickness. I'm not ready sit Hill unless he is resting.

 

[slinslin]

I say trade for Marcus Morris too and start him at the 3.

 

[joshstmarie]

We have alot of guys off to a slow start. Channing is fine. He proved last year he was an xfactor time and time again.

 

[Covert Rain]

I say yes because we know what we have in Frye. Frye is not a starter on a good NBA team. He is a bench player period. Find out what you have in Morris. Find out if he is starting material. The Suns are not going to win a title or make it to the playoffs IMO with the starting lineup they have.

 

[sunsfan88]

Frye shoots 1-5, 0-3 from 3pt FG, 4 pts, 3 rebounds and 2 PFs in today's win against Portland.

Morris again out plays him with 5-13, 3-4 from 3, 13 pts, 9 rebounds and 1 block.

 

[Proteus]

So how long does Frye get to find his shot?

 

[BC867]

So how long does Frye get to find his shot?

Until Kieff can move past the rookie foul trouble syndrome. I believe that he will before too long.

 

[sunsfan88]

So how long does Frye get to find his shot?

Until the Suns are eliminated from the playoffs...just like last season when Gentry waited til the Suns were out of the playoffs to start Gortat over Lopez.